Before he became one of the hundreds of Afghan newcomers to be resettled in St. Louis last year, Hedayatullah Loodin was used to preparing meals with a variety of spices: cumin, black pepper, chili powder, turmeric, paprika, cardamom, saffron, parsley and garlic powder, to name a few.
The 30-year-old says these spices help him feel connected to his roots whenever he makes traditional Afghan food, including stews, rice, kabab, dumplings called Mantu and Ashak, or Bolani, a vegetable-stuffed flatbread. But spices are expensive, and Loodin’s small food budget has often meant he must cook without them. And he’s not alone.
“With them coming to a new country, as unknown and as scary as it can be, we’re thinking, ‘What’s a good way to get folks settled in and acclimated with something familiar?’”
Food banks, food drives, and other mutual aid-type resources have long provided much-needed nonperishable foods like pasta, rice, and beans for newcomers to the U.S. But spices—the ingredients that provide heat, flavor and familiarity to a meal—often slip under the radar.
To address this gap, the International Institute of St. Louis—a local organization working with immigrants and refugees—is joining local grocer Global Foods Market to host its second annual spice drive for those facing food insecurity.
For the next month, shoppers can purchase spices from Global Foods Market or United Provisions, another international grocer, to donate to the drive and the two retailers will match the donations.
“This year, we hope to meet or exceed the community excitement that we received in our first year,” says Shayn Prapaisilp, chief operating officer of Global Foods Group. “We’re hopeful this will continue every year and benefit those in need.”
Last year’s drive collected nearly 30 pounds of spices. With the matching donations, a total of 600 jars of spices were given to people facing food insecurity through the St. Louis Area Foodbank and the International Institute of St. Louis.
From left: Suchin Prapaisilp, Owner of Global Foods Market, and Shayn Prapaisilp, Chief Operating Officer of Global Foods Group. (Photo courtesy of Global Foods Group)
In other parts of the country, local hunger organizations are also focusing more on spices. Food banks and pantries in Seattle, Tacoma, Boston, and Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, have all hosted spice drives in recent years. The drives align with the height of the giving season. Food pantry donations are at their highest in November and December, but spice donations are rare, so the folks behind these international organizations decided to pair the drive with the most popular season of food pantry donations. Their goal was to ensure that people receiving cans of beans or tuna could add more flavor to their meals and, in cases like Loodin’s, feel an added connection to their homes.
“We have access to all these spices and seasonings that a lot of folks in [other regions] of the world are used to and cook with,” says Prapaisilp. “With them coming to a new country, as unknown and as scary as it can be, we’re thinking, ‘What’s a good way to get folks settled in and acclimated with something familiar?’”
